I Will Protect You
by Korn95
Summary: When Blaine almost hits Kurt with his car he decides he simply must help him, and not just because of the deep attraction he feels, but because Kurt's black eyes says he might be in danger. T for language, super fluffy angst. R&R :D
1. I Will Protect You

Blaine sighed heavily, glaring out at the torrential rain smudging the residential street behind his windscreen. He had been trapped at the office two hours longer than he should have been thanks to a pointless meeting and Karen, the office slut, trying to hit on him _again_.

The windscreen wipers worked franticly, failing to make a dent in the river coursing over the glass. That, combined with the darkness and Blaine's own exhaustion, was making it very hard to drive, especially when the van in front of him was acting like a total prat.

Almost growling in frustration at the idiots all around him, Blaine swerved out into the next lane, slamming the break in the next second as a figure appeared suddenly in his headlights. His tires skidded for a second, a horrible second in which he thought he would hit the person, before they caught and he jerked to a halt, the figure in the road freezing directly in front of his car.

Blaine sat for a second, calming his heart and waiting for the figure in the road to move. When nothing happened he realised he must have hit the person and not realised it and he hurried to throw open his car door, ignoring the rain as guilt drove him from the vehicle.

At first glance, Blaine almost thought it was a deer caught in his headlights and it took him a moment to realise that the wide eyes he was looking into were actually human. The man before him was soaked, white top see-through, hair dripping. He was extremely pale and his lips had a blue tint that didn't look healthy. The only colour on his face was the dark shocking bruise around his left eye, but it was something in the way the stunning blue gaze pierced Blaine that really tugged at his heart. There was a kind of lost hopelessness in the sheer gaze, a hidden and tormented past, and it sparked something in Blaine that he hadn't felt since his last high school crush; the desire to get to know somebody.

Blaine could already feel his curls beginning to drip, his work shirt sticking to his body, and he could barely hear his own thoughts through the thundering downpour, but he pushed through the rain to the man who still hadn't moved from his position in the middle of the road.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Did I hit you?" Blaine shouted through the rain once he was close enough, only a few feet away.

The man was young, in his early twenties like Blaine, and his eyes followed Blaine's movements with what looked like fear. He didn't reply though.

"Look, I'm really sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you?" Again no reply. "Your eye looks pretty bad. I can get you some ice if you like or... something."

Blaine was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the terrified eyes locked on him. He almost wanted to check behind him for some axe-murderer or monster.

Just as he decided to go back to his car and wait for this guy to move, the man spoke up.

"I-is it r-really b-bad?" His high voice shook with cold.

"What?" Blaine looked back up at the guy, who was gently prodding his bruise, some of the fear gone from his gaze.

"M-my eye. Is it r-really bad?"

"Erm, nah, it's... alright. What happened?"

The man's face drained of what little colour it still had and he looked down at the ground, biting his lip nervously.

"N-nothing."

"Look, you don't get a black eye from nothing." Blaine stepped forward to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, but thought better of it when he shrank back with a faint whimper.

A sudden honking made them both jump and Blaine turned to see headlights pulling up behind his still running car.

"Oh shit." He murmured before turning back to the man in the road, who was now shivering fiercely. "We should probably get out of the road, huh? Can I give you a lift somewhere?"

"Um, n-no, thanks. I'm j-just gonna g-go... um... th-that way." He gestured vaguely into the darkness to his left, eyes darting in all directions as if he was desperate for an escape.

"Come on, you're soaked through and your lips are turning blue. At least let me drop you off somewhere. Where are you headed anyway?"

The man's face took on a positively panicked looked and his breathing picked up. He jumped violently as the car behind them honked again.

"I don-don't really know, I just..."

Blaine couldn't tell if it was raindrops sliding down the pale man's cheeks, or tears, but the terror on his face was heartbreaking and Blaine couldn't stand it. Moving closer to the man and ignoring the way he shrank away, he lightly clasped his wrist and tugged him gently to the passenger side of his car. He expected the man to resist, or at least protest, but he came willingly, curiosity mixing in with jumble of emotions in his wide eyes.

Opening the door to the car, he guided the man into the seat, before shutting it again as quietly as possible (not that it mattered in the rain) and dashing round to the driver's side.

"So what's your name?" Blaine asked as he started the car and pulled it out of its awkward position across both lanes of the road.

"K-Kurt." The young man replied. Stilling shivering with his arms wrapped around his chest.

"I'm Blaine." Catching the movement of Kurt's shivering out the corner of his eye, Blaine twisted the knob for the heating up ridiculously high and reached behind his seat, blindly groping for his jacket. Once he found it he handed it to Kurt with a mumbled 'here'.

Kurt took it shyly, shock on all his features, before slipping his arms through the sleeves and wrapping it tightly around his body. It was slightly too large for him but his eyes slid shut as the shivers wracking his body slowed, and eventually stopped.

After about 10 minutes Blaine realised he had no idea where to take Kurt and spent another 3 mentally debating whether to ask again or just take him back to his own apartment. Deciding it would seem too forward to just head straight home, Blaine cleared his throat awkwardly.

"So, where do you want me to drop you off?"

The change in Kurt was immediate. His back stiffened and his eyes snapped open, tears welling in them with alarming rapidity.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kurt. I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, no it's f-fine. I just, I don't have anywhere to go."

Blaine's heart ached for him. The confession seemed to cost him a lot and he turned his face away, staring out the darkened window.

"You can just drop me off where ever you like."

Blaine knew there was no way he was about to just drop Kurt off in the middle of nowhere and he didn't see any other choice than to invite him back to his home.

"Kurt, I'm sorry if this is too forward, but you're welcome to come back to my place. You can have a shower and I'll lend you some clothes and you can take some time to decide what you want to do."

Kurt turned to look at him, utter shock and confusion written all over his face.

"Yeah, sorry, too forward. Erm, is there any where at all you ca-"

"Would you really do that for me?" Kurt's voice was quiet but it shut Blaine up immediately.

"Well, yeah."

"Why?"

"Kurt, I almost hit you with my car and it's pissing it down out there and you look like one more raindrop would give you pneumonia. I think you need a hand right now."

Once more, tears welled in Kurt's eyes but there was something different behind the blue irises. Hope was beautiful on Kurt. It lit up his entire face and left him glowing. Before Blaine could comprehend it, Kurt levered himself over the centre console and planted a kiss on Blaine's cheek. For some reason this made Blaine's heart stutter in his chest and he was finding it increasingly difficult to focus on the road instead of staring at Kurt.

Eventually they reached Blaine's apartment block and they stood awkwardly side-by-side as the elevator took them up to the fourth floor. Blaine's heart was hammering furiously and he fumbled slightly with his keys, but eventually he got the door open, standing back to allow Kurt to enter before him. All of Kurt's fear and insecurity seemed to return as he took in his new surroundings and he hovered self-consciously in the centre of the living room, still hugging Blaine's work blazer to himself, as Blaine moved around, flicking on lights and doing various other menial tasks that he usually did once he was home.

Eventually Blaine was out of things to do to stall time. Shuffling back in to the living room he noticed that Kurt was shivering again and his heart ached a little for him.

"You're cold." He stated, moving a step closer to Kurt, who nodded slightly in response before continuing to study the fibres of the carpet. "You can use my shower if you'd like. It's probably the best way to warm up" He felt like a bit of a perv suggesting it but Blaine was nothing if not practical.

"S-sure." Kurt whispered, eyes flickering up to Blaine for a second before he looked away.

"Erm, yeah, it's through here." Blaine mentally cursed the layout of his flat as he lead Kurt through his bedroom to the bathroom. Once inside he quickly showed Kurt how to work the shower before retreating to find some clothes for him to wear when he was done. He agonised over the choice, at last deciding on pyjama pants and one of his smaller t-shirts to fit Kurt's slender frame.

He knocked quietly on the bathroom door before entering, just to be safe, but Kurt was exactly as he'd left him, standing huddled in the middle of the room staring dejectedly at the tiles. Dropping the clothes on the closed toilet seat, Blaine began a hasty exit when he was stopped by Kurt's voice. It was small and afraid and wrenched at his entire being.

"Don't leave me."

"I'm not leaving Kurt. I'll just get changed and then I'll be in the kitchen making us some food." This just seemed to upset Kurt further.

"Please. Will you stay? Not in here, but somewhere I can hear you. I can't be alone." At last Blaine felt he had made the right decision bringing Kurt home. He just needed someone to take care of him at the moment.

"Of course I'll stay Kurt. I need to get changed but then I'll sit outside the door, alright?"

Kurt nodded quickly before pulling off Blaine's now slightly damp blazer and handing it back to him. It smelt sweet and bitter at the same time, but to Blaine the scent was perfect.

Back in his room he swapped his sodden work clothes for sweatpants and a t-shirt before moving to sit on the carpet so he could lean against the bathroom door. He could hear the water running but no other movement.

"You alright in there Kurt?" He called, his stomach twisting strangely as he remembered that Kurt would be naked by now.

"Yeah." Came the timid reply.

They spent some time in quiet, Blaine humming randomly and surprising himself when he realised he was actually enjoying having some company, no matter how shy and introverted it might be.

"Are you going to tell me who gave you a black eye yet?" Blaine called after a while. He heard a small clatter, as though a lid had been dropped, then the movement stopped.

"My boyfriend." The two tiny, barely distinguishable words did strange things to Blaine's emotions. He was angry that anyone would hurt someone has innocent as Kurt, especially someone who was supposed to care about him, pleased that Kurt was finally opening up to him, for some reason relieved that Kurt was gay, and was that jealousy biting at his insides? Was he jealous that Kurt had a boyfriend? And yet despite feeling all this, the only reply he could muster was 'oh'.

"Yeah. I've been living with him for a few months."

"Has he been hitting you for just as long?" Blaine couldn't help but ask, but the venom in his voice seemed to startle Kurt.

"No! He used to be so lovely. But then he lost his job and started drinking, forced me to sell my apartment to pay for booze and started hitting me when he was pissed."

"I'm so sorry Kurt."

"It's fine." Blaine thought he heard a sniff and turned his head to face in Kurt's direction, pressing his cheek to the cool wood of the door. He knew Kurt was in pain and he yearned to comfort him, the strength of his emotions frightening him a little. He had known this man for less than an hour and already he ached for his pain.

"It's not fine Kurt, no one deserves abuse."

"It doesn't matter anymore. I escaped, that's what matters."

"How did you escape?" Blaine heard the shower turn off and shortly after, the slide of clothes being pulled over damp limbs.

"He passed out and I decided that was it. I had a bag but he woke up as I was leaving the apartment and I had to run and I dropped it." He sounded distraught and Blaine stood up as footsteps approached the door behind him.

When it swung open timidly he had to bite his tongue to keep from gasping audibly. Kurt looked cute and beautiful and fucking sexy all at the same time. His towel dried hair was still a bit damp and it clung to his forehead in a way that meant he was constantly pushing it back. He eyes were bright and clear, slightly red-rimmed but still breath-taking. And the way Blaine's t-shirt clung to his damp skin was too hot to be real, Blaine considered pinching himself to ensure he wasn't dreaming. How could anyone have hurt him?

After a moment Blaine realised he had been staring for an inappropriately long amount of time and he tore his eyes away from Kurt, bringing up a hand to rub across the back of his neck.

"So, um dinner?" He mumbled, turning and marching out into the main living space, heading straight for the small kitchen. "Is pizza okay? I don't really have much in the way of fresh food."

"Sure, pizza's great." Kurt's voice was so much closer than he expected and he turned to find the pale man fiddling with the coffee machine. The sight of him in pyjamas making coffee spawned numerous different scenarios in Blaine's head, all on which involved it being the morning after the night before and him waking up next to Kurt. He swallowed a groan of longing at the thoughts of the night before part and turned back to concentrate on setting the oven.

Just as he set the timer, he heard a smash behind him and turned to find Kurt standing next to the counter, one mug in his hand and the other in shards at his feet. There was a moment where they both stared at the broken ceramic before their gazes met, Kurt's instantly filling with horrified tears.

"Please don't hit me." His whisper was so quiet Blaine had to strain to catch it but it still managed to feel like a full blow to the chest.

"Oh no, Kurt, never." Stepping carefully round the sharps pieces on the floor, Blaine slipped his arms around Kurt's waist, pulling him flush against his chest and rubbing his back as the other boy finally broke down, full, heaving sobs tearing through his body.

They stood like that for what felt like hours, Blaine occasionally pressing a kiss to Kurt's soft hair as the other boy wept against him, only roused from their embrace by the beeping of the oven timer.

"Wh-what if he finds me?" Kurt's voice was rough form crying and the fear that was clearly constricting his throat also wrapped tight bands around Blaine's heart, the mere idea of anyone hurting Kurt leaving him slightly breathless.

"He won't. And if he does, well, then I'll protect you." Kurt looked up from where he was still encircled in Blaine's arms, the smallest of smiles lifting the corners of his mouth.

"You'd really do that for me?"

"Of course. I'd never let anyone hurt you." Their gazes met and Blaine was saddened to see the wonder in Kurt's eyes. How much cruelty must one person go through to be shocked at the smallest acts of kindness?

As they continued to stare at each other, the air seemed to thicken slightly around them, and Blaine almost leaned in, stopping when the oven beeped obnoxiously again.

Sighing, Blaine dropped his arms and Kurt pulled away, both of them returning to their prior activities of making food and coffee, Blaine taking a moment to sweep away the sharp pieces of the broken mug.

By the time they were both seated on the couch, each with a plate of pizza and a steaming mug of coffee, Blaine had had time to realise that, had it not been or the oven, he would have kissed Kurt back there. Knowing this slightly disconcerted him. He had been quick to fallen in love when he was young and had therefore had his heart broken many times. It seemed now he was falling into the same trap, though it hadn't happened for at least seven years. Trying not to over-analyse his emotions he had decided that the least he could do was get to know Kurt a little better, and it was with that in mind that he ignored the TV remote and turned to Kurt to begin the long list of questions forming in his head.

Each answer that fell from Kurt's lips only entranced Blaine more. He was captivated as he found out how a young boy from Ohio, the only out gay at his school and who was bullied terribly for it, broke free of the restraints of small town life to forge a path to New York. A boy who became a man as he struggled to make ends meet in the bustling city and fell in with the wrong crowd as he searched futilely for work. It broke his heart to discover that the man had turned to prostitution for a short while when money had stopped flowing, and he was horrified to hear all the ways the man had been ripped off and used. There was a brief flicker of hope in the form of a friendly recovered alcoholic but it was quickly overshadowed by the death of the man's father, his only living relative. And finally he heard how the man had turned to his last friend in the world for comfort and solace, only to be beaten and down-trodden to moment things got slightly rough.

By the time Kurt finished speaking, Blaine couldn't help but marvel at the fact that Kurt was still carrying on after all he'd been through. The kind of strength and bravery it must have taken Kurt just to recount the story was incredible and Blaine couldn't take his eyes off Kurt's face as the pale man folded over his pizza with carful fingers and brought it to his lips. He was in awe of Kurt. It was that simple. The things he had witnessed and experienced were the stuff of nightmares and yet here he was, damaged but not broken, never broken.

When Kurt looked up to find Blaine watching him with wide eyes and a slack jaw he pressed his fingers to his face.

"Is there pizza on my face? I always make a mess of everything." Kurt scrubbed harshly at his cheeks and mouth, scowling at the opposite wall and Blaine reached forward unthinkingly to grab his wrists, stilling his hands and getting his attention.

"There's nothing on your face Kurt. You're beautiful. And you haven't made a mess of everything. Everything has tried to make a mess of you but... it failed. You're... amazing." Kurt stared at him with shock in his doe eyes, a stray tear slipping down his cheek. "Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise Kurt."

Leaning forward ever so slowly, Blaine pressed his lips to the tear making slow progress down Kurt's face, catching it with his lips and feeling as though he could somehow lessen Kurt's sorrow, take some of it as his own, with the passing of the tiny bead of salt water.

Getting to his feet, Blaine picked up their plates and mugs before moving to the kitchen, smiling slightly to himself as he realised Kurt was still sitting in exactly the same position, one hand pressed lightly to the cheek that Blaine had kissed, wide-eyed wonder on his face.

When Blaine returned to the sofa Kurt was still sitting like that and Blaine had to clear his throat twice to get Kurt's attention.

"The sofa turns into a bed so I'll sleep out here and you can have my bed." Blaine began to shift the cushions even as he spoke but stopped abruptly when Kurt spoke up.

"No."

"What?"

"Blaine, you've done so much for me already. The least I can do is let you sleep in your own bed." Kurt picked at the couch, not quite meeting Blaine's eye when he looked up.

"It's fine Kurt, honestly, I don't mind." Blaine continued removing cushions, fumbling under the sofa for the right lever.

"Blaine, I've slept on concrete before, this is luxury compared to that." He stood so Blaine could pull out the bed part of the sofa, standing back slightly as Blaine started arranging the cushions to make it more comfortable.

"Kurt you're my guest, you're supposed to take the more comfortable bed." Blaine argued as he pulled blankets and pillows out of a cupboard.

"I'm sleeping on the sofa." Blaine turned back to find Kurt sitting cross-legged in the middle on the sofa/mattress, arms folded over his chest and a determined look on his face.

Dropping the blankets and pillows on the end of the makeshift bed he admitted defeat and turned towards his bedroom, wishing Kurt goodnight as he flipped off the light. He thought he heard a slight whimper as the darkness engulfed them but wrote it off as the wind as he realised what a perv he would seem if he stood there any longer.

He brushed he teeth quickly before sliding into bed, thoughts full of Kurt as he slipped easily into sleep.

After what felt like a matter of minutes his eyes fluttered open. His clock showed him it was 2:17 and the darkness told him it was still night-time. It took him a moment to realise what had woken him until he spotted the head poking shyly round his door in the darkness. The figure was a shadow as it slipped into the room and crossed to the side of his double bed but already he could recognise Kurt merely from his silhouette.

Kurt just stood for a moment, gazing at the empty side of the bed before him like it was forbidden territory. Eventually his eyes flicked up and he gasped as he realised Blaine was awake.

"Sorry." He whispered. He sounded terrified and as if he had been crying. "I had a bad dream and I didn't know what to do."

Blaine's heart broke slightly and he rolled form his back to his side so he was facing Kurt.

"It's fine." The gazed at each other in silence for a moment before Blaine just decided to take a leap of faith and hope it went well.

Lifting the covers back slightly he nodded to the empty half of the bed, not needing words to convey his message.

Kurt didn't hesitate to slide under the covers, wriggling down so all that was visible of him was half his face as he rolled onto his side so he was facing Blaine. Blaine smiled sadly at the fear still laced across his features, even as he closed his eyes, and hesitated a moment before sliding one hand around Kurt's waist onto his back and using it as leverage to pull him close. Kurt gasped slightly as he found himself flush against Blaine's chest, before he relaxed, the last of the worry leaving his features as he buried his face in Blaine's t-shirt, one hand coming up to rest on Blaine's hip, the other fisting in the front of his shirt.

Blaine leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Kurt's forehead, holding him securely.

"I care about you very much Kurt." He whispered quietly, though he thought the man in his arms was probably already asleep. "You're safe with me."

With that he tightened his hold on Kurt, buried his face in his soft hair and let sleep claim him.


	2. I Will Shield You

**So, I owe you guys like the biggest apology ever. I told you this was gonna be up ages ago but I've been grappling so much with which path to direct this story down depending on how long it should be versus making sure it's interesting but I think I know how it's gonna happen now so I'm writing away but I thought I'd better post this chapter for my lovely readers to say sorry. **

**I hope you enjoy this and I am once again sorry for keeping you waiting. :D**

* * *

><p>When Blaine woke the next morning it was to an empty bed. He lay there, grief stricken, wondering if Kurt had upped and left early, or if it had all been one elaborate dream. No, he thought, he could still smell a foreign scent on the sheets next to him, a scent that stirred fond emotions.<p>

He sniffed, inhaling deeply. He couldn't describe the smell laced into his pillows but there was an underlying scent of coffee. Coffee!

Yanking his body upright, Blaine tried his hardest not to run from the room, his stomach doing little back flips of joy when he saw Kurt's lean form shuffling around the kitchen sleepily, carefully placing mugs on the counter before filling them with dark brown liquid.

"Morning." He said when Kurt had replaced the coffee pot. The pale man jumped, as Blaine had expected, and turned to face him with a timid smile.

"Morning."Picking up a mug in each hand, Kurt moved forward to give one to Blaine, who accepted it with a murmured 'thanks'.

They drank for a moment in silence, eyes meeting occasionally over the rims of their cups.

"Do you want to do something today?" Blaine asked, wondering if he could just casually slip into dating Kurt without having to explicitly ask him on a date, but Kurt's face fell slightly.

"Oh, um yeah. I guess I should get out of here. I could find a motel or something to stay in till I land on my feet or... something. " Blaine frowned for a moment till he realised how Kurt had interpreted his words.

"NO!" He almost shouted. "I mean, um, you don't have to go anywhere. I just meant we could go see a movie or go shopping or something. You don't have to leave." _Please don't leave _he stopped himself from adding. He didn't want to scare Kurt off by being too forward.

Kurt just stared at him for a moment, his piercing gaze making Blaine feel more exposed than if he had been naked. Eventually it seemed like Blaine's words got through to him. He set his mug very precisely on the counter before turning back to Blaine and throwing his arms around his neck.

He clung to Blaine tightly and, as soon as he overcame the shock, Blaine lifted his arms to wrap around his waist.

They hugged for a while, enjoying the warmth they'd shared all night, and when they pulled back Kurt had tears in his eyes, a real grin spread across his face.

"Thank you Blaine. Thank you so much! You're the nicest person I've ever met!"

It was the first time Blaine had seen Kurt smile properly, a true, blinding grin, and he barely even registered Kurt's words as he took in the full beauty that stood before him.

Looking back on it he thought his brain must have short-circuited because what he did next was not like anything he'd done before.

Without pausing to think about how Kurt might react, or if it was the right time, Blaine leaned forward and pressed his lips to Kurt's. The kiss was short and sweet but it set Blaine's whole body on fire.

He pulled back slowly, realising too late that what he had just done was foolish, but he had barely caught a glimpse of Kurt's shocked face before there were arms around his neck and Kurt was kissing him passionately. At first his brain was too shocked to respond, but after a second his lips moved of their own accord and he lifted his hands to pull Kurt tightly against his body.

Their lips moved roughly together and Blaine thought he would pass out from the noise Kurt made when he bit down on his lower lip.

He thought they probably could have made out forever, but a loud banging on the door snapped them back to their surroundings and they broke apart, both a little pink in the cheeks.

"KURT!" Came a deep shout from outside the door. "Kurt I know you're in there!"

Blaine turned to Kurt to find him ashen and shaking, his lips trembling as they tried to form words.

"Kurt, who is that?" Blaine murmured quickly, though he thought he already knew the answer and he didn't like it.

"I-it's him. It's Dave. He found me." Kurt voice was high and terrified, tears were already streaming down his face, and he jumped violently when a heavy body slammed into the door.

The stood huddled together in the kitchen for a moment longer till the next slam of a body into the door flipped something in Blaine's head. No matter what happened, this man could not get to Kurt.

"Kurt, go lock yourself in the bathroom." Blaine instructed, cringing as the front door creaked under the force of the assault.

"What? I, no... I c-can't leave you." He shook his head and grabbed a fistful of Blaine's shirt, as if to show his unwillingness to be separated. "You don't what he can do."

The words sent fear sliding into Blaine's stomach but it was nothing compared to the fear he felt when he thought of Kurt and the man outside being in the same room.

"Kurt, I can take care of myself, it's you he's after so go and hide. Now!" He added, shoving Kurt in the direction of the bedroom when he still didn't move.

The door was close to finished and Blaine had nothing to defend himself with, he merely hoped that he could lie his way out of this situation.

As the door burst in Blaine had a horrible moment where all he could see was the toilet cubicle he had taken refuge in when he was fifteen and hiding from bullies. That door had burst inwards in exactly the same way and panic threatened to suffocate him as he fought off the memory.

The man in the doorway was massive. Not only was he at least a foot taller than Blaine, but he was also about three times as wide. He pushed into the room past the broken door and straight up to Blaine, getting right in his face.

"Where is he?" He growled, eyes darting around the room as he grabbed a fistful of Blaine's shirt. The gesture made him think of Kurt doing it just a minute previously. How differently the same thing could be interpreted when done in a slightly different way.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Blaine fought hard to keep the quiver out of his voice, looking straight into the hulking man's small grey eyes.

"Don't lie to me." He sneered. "I heard you talking to someone and now it's just you. Where's he hiding?"

"I-it was the TV." He cursed the stutter in his voice, wishing his mind would stop replaying clips from the aftermath of his Sadie Hawkins dance.

Dave's eyes travelled over the room again, this time with more scrutiny, and Blaine saw the exact moment the lighted upon the two coffee mugs sitting side-by-side on the counter. Releasing Blaine's shirt he strolled over to the innocent looking crockery and picked up Kurt's mug, studying it like an inquisitive child.

"You always have two cups of coffee in the morning?" He sneered, throwing the mug up and catching it again, a few drops of warm brown liquid spraying out.

"No, my... girlfriend was here. She had some coffee and left about an hour ago." Blaine gulped nervously, not liking the sound of the porcelain smacking against his palm.

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Dave suddenly roared, drawing back his arm, he launching the mug at Blaine.

Blaine ducked, but he wasn't quite fast enough. The hard mug caught the side of his head, the blow sending him stumbling back as his vision swam a little.

"I KNOW HE'S HERE! My mate lives across the road and he saw _my boyfriend_ walking around in here this morning!" He thundered towards Blaine, grabbing the front of his shirt again and shoving him against the wall. "Tell me where he is or I will break you." He hissed, right in Blaine's ear.

"No." Blaine made sure he voice was steady this time, and he was almost prepared for the blow that landed on his gut. But that didn't make it hurt any less.

He clutched his stomach as the wind flew out of him, gasping in again quickly when Dave's fist hit his jaw. He grunted in pain as another blow hit his diaphragm, and struggled for a moment to suck in air.

Dave pushed him harder against the wall.

"Where is he?" He growled.

"I don't know." Blaine tried to growl back, but the effect was slightly ruined by the pant in his voice.

"Wrong answer." This time the blow to his gut made his stomach twist and he thought he might throw up. Dave let go of his shirt and he crumpled to the ground in time for a heavy foot to swing into his side.

"WHERE IS HE!" Dave screamed, leaning down and lifting Blaine's torso of the floor by his shirt.

"He..." Blaine coughed as the movement of his lungs made them burn. "He left. Said something about a motel last night and this morning he was gone."

Dave dropped his shirt and stood up, he fists balled in anger.

"You should have said so sooner, you stupid wanker." He turned to head for the door but then something seemed to hit him. "Did you sleep with him?"

"What? NO!" Blaine cried but he already knew it was pointless.

"You lying piece of shit! How dare you touch him! HE'S MINE!" Turning back to Blaine he struck out. Again and again. Kicking and hitting and yelling endless insults.

Blaine curled into a ball, trying his hardest to protect himself but the onslaught kept coming, soon there ware images flashing behind his eyelids. A guy at middle school who flushed his belongings down the loo, three thugs beating the crap out of him and the only other gay guy at his school as they waited for his dad, coming home to find insults written on his living room wall and knowing the only person who could get in without breaking the lock was his landlord. The scenes kept flashing through his mind and he felt his chest constrict with panic and terror.

Eventually, the images faded, the kicking stooped and Blaine though he heard someone sobbing as everything went dark.

"Oh god Blaine, wake up. I'm so sorry. Please, just wake up. _Please_." The broken voice dissolved into broken sobs as Blaine searched to find a way to open his eyes. Eventually he found his eyelids, and with them returned the rest of his body. For a moment he wished he hadn't surfaced because the pain was unbearable.

Opening his eyes he groaned and a blurred figure appeared right above him.

"Blaine? Blaine, I'm here, look at me Blaine, he's gone."

Blaine opened his eyes fully and the blurry figure turned into Kurt, kneeling next to his head and leaning over to look him in the eye.

"Oh thank god!" Kurt leaned forward, pressing his lips to Blaine's forehead.

"Kurt. Are you okay?" Blaine croaked.

"I'm fine." Kurt's voice shook. "Thanks to you. Anyway, it's you we should be worried about."

Blaine lay still as gentle fingers caressed the place on his chin where Dave had punched him. It was probably black and blue by now.

"How did you stand getting hit like that every day?" Blaine lifted his arm slowly, running his fingertips over the slightly yellowing bruise around Kurt's eye.

"It was just the odd slap now and then. The first time he punched me was the day I left." Blaine really wanted to kiss Kurt in that moment, or at least hold him, but the even the thought of movement made his body throb painfully.

Closing his eyes he focused on the soothing feel of Kurt's cool fingers on his jaw, until they left. His eyes snapped open as he felt the same gentle fingers pushing up the hem of his shirt.

His eyes darted to Kurt, but he wasn't looking at Blaine's face. He was frowning down at the skin being revealed as he pushed the material up Blaine's stomach. After a second of two he seemed to find what he was looking for, and let out a dry sob, his hands moving to cover his face.

Looking down Blaine saw that his stomach and sides were a collage of mottled purple bruises. He sighed at the sight. Of course, he'd had worse but he'd thought that part of his life was over.

Gently pushing himself into sitting position, he sucked in a breath through his teeth as pain shot through his ribs, breathing through the discomfort and rubbing carefully at his side.

Kurt was full out weeping next to him, so he laid a gentle hand on his arm.

"Kurt. It's really not that bad. I've had worse. Please look at me Kurt." Two wide blue eyes appeared between Kurt's slender fingers, red and swollen from all the crying he'd been doing. "Honestly, it looks worse than it is." He shifted to sit cross-legged opposite Kurt, wincing a little at the ache in his limbs.

"It's all my fault." Kurt's whisper was muffled by his hands but Blaine still heard him.

"No." He said sternly. "None of this is your fault. If I hadn't been willing to fight for you, to get hurt for you, then I wouldn't have stayed out here to face him. Please Kurt, you've got to believe me when I say that this isn't your fault."

Kurt slowly lowered his hands, wide eyes full of sorrow.

"I should go Blaine. If any one sees me here then we're both screwed." He made to get up but Blaine reach out, gripping his arm and holding him in place.

"I don't want you to go Kurt. Stay with me. Please stay." Their gazes locked, and blue eyes searched hazel before Kurt nodded slowly.

They spent the day curled up together in bed, all the curtains closed to block out the world. Kurt grabbed the extra pillows and blankets from the living room and they made a kind of fort, a safe place for them to cuddle while they fantasised about what they would do if they had all the money and time and freedom they could ask for. They shared their wildest dreams and long languid kisses, and when at last night fell, they held each other tight to ward off the nightmares.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed that. I'm working on the next chapter right now and I'll get that up as soon as I can. Please review and tell me what you think cos I love to hear from you guys and it really helps me work out how to write this. :D<strong>


	3. I Will Find You

**Sorry for taking so long with this, I'm a horrible person! But I didn't know where to go with this and then the characters went on strike. But now it is done. I have written the other chapter and so will be posting that tomorrow or the day after depending on how much work I have to do. Anyway, I hope you like it and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.**

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><p>Sunday was much like Saturday. Blaine woke up before Kurt and spent the time watching him sleep. It was nice to see his face not twisted with worry or fear. Once they were both awake, they settled on the sofa and Blaine educated Kurt on all the greatest movies in his collection. Blaine was usually enraptured by any one of the films but he was finding it hard to focus on the boy wizard before him with the battle waging in his head. The majority of his brain was super aware of the way Kurt was curled into his side, one hand pressed onto his chest, but niggling in the back of his mind was worry about what would happen the next day.<p>

Of course he had considered just not going back to work, but his strict upbringing made it seem like it wasn't an option. He hoped Kurt would be satisfied with staying in his apartment but he knew he wouldn't have been if the roles had been reversed.

Eventually they were both hungry enough to leave the comfort of the sofa, and each other's arms. Blaine fixed the front door, which had been blocked shut, while Kurt fixed them a late breakfast, both avoiding the curtained windows.

As it turned out, Kurt was a pretty good cook. He could fry eggs and bacon well enough, and made good coffee. Once they were both fed they started in on the next set of films, Blaine's eyes flicking to the clock on the TV with increasing frequency at Monday drew nearer.

As they lay in bed that night, Blaine decided it was time to bring up the next day, though he was loathe to burst the little bubble of contentment they had created for themselves.

"Kurt, I have work tomorrow." Blaine's whisper seemed loud in the darkness but it took Kurt so long to reply he thought he might have already been asleep.

"Oh. Do you want me to leave?" Blaine was shocked that Kurt would come to this conclusion, but then, Blaine hadn't been exactly vocal about the jumble of emotions inside him.

"Of course not Kurt." _I never want you to leave._ "I just wondered what you were going to do with yourself while I wasn't here. There's really nothing interesting in the apartment and you can't leave or Dave will know you're here." Blaine pulled Kurt closer against his side, kissing his hair. "I don't want you to get bored."

They were both silent for a moment, the only sound in the room their slow breaths and calm heartbeats.

"Do you have a computer?" Kurt piped up at last.

"Yeah, it's kinda old but it has the internet and stuff."

"Well then I'll be fine." Kurt leant up on one elbow so he could look into Blaine's face.

"You really want to spend your whole day on a computer? I'm gonna have to work for the rest of the week you know. What will you do then?" Blaine lifted his hand to run his fingers through Kurt's hair, letting them rest on his neck and smiling when Kurt leaned into the touch.

"You know, I haven't had time to just browse the internet in so long. I'm sure I'll find plenty of things on the world wide web to keep me interested for a few hours while you're off being a businessman." Kurt's tone was slightly mocking and Blaine pretended to scowl.

"I'll have you know I'm no ordinary businessman." He pouted. "I am a-"

"Super businessman?" Kurt interrupted, a look of polite interest of his face.

Blaine growled quietly in back of his throat, pushing Kurt back on to the bed by his shoulders and leaning over him.

"You're impossible." He murmured in Kurt's ear before pressing a kiss to the crook of his jaw, trailing kisses down his neck and back up the other side.

Kurt giggled a little breathlessly, one hand coming up to cup Blaine's face and lift it so their lips could connect.

They kissed gently for some time till sleep pulled at their minds. Their faces still almost touching as they dropped into unconsciousness.

Blaine was once again the first one awake the next morning. Lying on his back with Kurt in his arms he stared at the ceiling. His unsettled stomach made him feel uneasy, as if the universe was trying to warn him.

He clutched Kurt tightly, marvelling at how quickly he had become one of the most important things in his life. If anything were to happen to him he didn't know what he'd do.

Eventually he couldn't put it off any longer, and swung his legs off the bed, shimmying out of Kurt's hold and standing up. Kurt made a small snuffling noise and reached for Blaine's pillow, burying his face in it and breathing deeply. He settled again as Blaine's scent surrounded him, breathing deep and even.

It didn't take long till Blaine was ready to leave. He stood beside Kurt's sleeping form, the feeling of unease growing stronger. Kurt looked so delicate curled in the blankets, Blaine had to forcibly remind himself of all he had been through and how strong he had been to get through it.

Too soon he was in danger of being late so, scribbling a short note to Kurt, he left the apartment and descended to his car.

The morning light felt garish compared to the semi-darkness they'd spent their weekend in, and Blaine winced against the blinding light. The drive to work was short but tormented. Everywhere Blaine looked he could see Kurt appearing in front of his car, once or twice actually swerving to miss hitting the hallucinations.

His day was just as bad. When he wasn't completely immersed in documents and emails and meetings his mind would wonder to where Kurt was or what he was doing. He had always been imaginative but the various images of Kurt in horrifying situations that presented themselves to him were getting beyond ridiculous.

Eventually lunch rolled around and Blaine made up his mind on the mental battle he had been fighting. He had an hour and a half for lunch. It took him half an hour to drive from the office to his apartment. That gave him and Kurt half an hour to eat and chat and, hopefully, make out.

Grabbing his jacket he speed walked to the elevator, jabbing the button impatiently. When Karen tried to engage him in conversation he ignored her, diving through the opening doors before him and practically stabbing the ground floor button.

By the time Blaine reached his apartment, he was anxious and impatient. His stomach was twisting nervously, and the feeling that something was wrong that had plagued him all morning was back tenfold.

He stepped up to his front door and experienced a brief moment of not wanting to go inside, of wanting to turn around and go back to the office so he could pretend everything would be fine, but he didn't. Instead he pushed open the front door.

The sight that greeted him brought nothing but horror. A million different scenes flashed before his eyes, all similar with insignificant differences. His home was a mess. The couch on its side, the curtains torn down, even the TV was smashed.

Blaine felt tears burning behind his eyes as he took in the disarray. Taking a deep breath he stepped into the main room and slowly drifted through the war-zone. His heart was beating in his throat and his stomach simultaneously. He looked up as he reached the window set into the wall opposite the door and was shocked to find writing scrawled across the glass.

'I saw you.'

The three words were written in red marker pen and sent shivers down Blaine's spine. He felt exposed, completely naked and as if someone was watching him. Glancing around again he felt panic begin to build.

He continued throughout the apartment, checking every room for he wasn't sure what, and ending up in his bedroom, breath shallow and uneven. He began to feel light-headed and reached out for a hold on his dresser, surprised to find it slick. Pulling his hand away his stomach swooped at the sight of blood.

It took him a moment to even comprehend the red smeared across his palm, but when he did, it hit him hard. His breaths became sporadic and black spots popped into his vision. Eyes fixed on his hand, he backed into the corner and slid to the floor. A small part of his mind registered that he was having a panic attack but mostly he was focused on stopping the darkness seeping through his consciousness.

He couldn't help but imagine all the different ways Kurt's blood could have ended up on the dresser. Of course, he had no proof it was Kurt's, but something in him just knew. There were numerous ways it could have happened, and when he'd finished imagining them he moved onto thinking of all the horrible situations Kurt could be in right now. There was no way Dave wasn't behind this mayhem. Who else would break in to his apartment, write that message on that window and harm Kurt?

It was thoughts of Kurt trapped with that monster that pulled him from his panic stricken state. Thoughts of Kurt, scared and beaten, that gave him the strength to drag his body from the floor and stumble out of the room. He hadn't realised tears where sliding down his cheeks till he rubbed a hand across his eyes and it came away wet. He ignored the tears though, pushing through the sea of his broken possessions on the floor, and begin to pace the main room. There had to be something he could do, anything that would rectify this situation. Of course, any normal person would immediately call the police, but Blaine had been in similar situations before and he knew there was only so much the police could do. There was no proof that it was Dave and if the police got involved now Blaine would be pushed back from any investigation and kept in the dark. No, he would figure this out for himself before he contacted the authorities.

As a lawyer he was pretty good at compartmentalising and so that's what he did. Pushing the panic into a sectioned off corner of his mind he focused on the task at hand, thinking through everything he knew about Kurt's ex-boyfriend. He didn't have much to go on though. Not even a last name to aid his search. His frustration mounted as he continually drew blanks, his pacing becoming more vigorous and forceful. Soon his frustration turned to anger. If only he hadn't left for work, if only he and Kurt had been more careful. However he looked at it, the blame always seemed to land with him. It was too much, all the guilt and frustration, as he turned to back to face the wall opposite his front door, striding forward about to turn again but changing his mind at the last minute. Spinning on his heels he raised his fists so they were level with his head and slammed his forearms and fists into the door of a cupboard unit hanging from the wall.

The doors burst open at the force, file after file tumbling from the shelf and catching on the sideboard below, causing them to scatter across the floor. Letting out a growl of aggravation, Blaine dropped to his hands and knees, trying to retrieve all the files from the broken bits of his possessions covering the floor.

His anger and panic had his hands shaking , causing half the files he picked up to drop back to the floor, papers slipping from bindings and floating off away from him. He continued regardless, making very little progress when something caught his eye. It was a picture of a very familiar face. A face that had Blaine's stomach clenching in anger.

Discarding the papers in his hands, Blaine grabbed the file attached to the photo, flicking through to find a name.

_David Karofsky_

It was him! Blaine could hardly believe his luck at finding the file and, flicking through it as he got to his feet, he began to recall the case.

It had been back when he was still in college, studying to be a lawyer. In his final year they had spent a lot of time looking at real cases, the kinds of things they would face as part of the job. David Karofsky had been one of them. Charged with assault and suspected manslaughter, David had been found guilty and sent to prison, only to be let out on probation mere weeks later. Blaine had found the whole thing a little suspicious and his professor, a close friend of the family, had later told him a rumour of an alleged bribe that had passed between the accused and the judge, but there hadn't been enough evidence for it to be brought to light.

Blaine knew he had the whole file, he had been sure to keep all the information he could get from his time in college, and so flipping to the back he found the forms detailing the terms of probation for one David Karofsky, including a current address. At least he hoped it was current. It had been a couple of years since the case but the block of council flats where he supposedly lived was not far from Blaine's own apartment and would make sense considering the direction Kurt had been running in the night Blaine had met him.

Blaine allowed himself a small smile as a tiny flame of hope ignited within him. He had a plan and he was damn sure he would see it through.

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><p><strong>Bum bum bummm! Okay so one more chapter, thanks for reading and if you review I will love you so much you will have no choice but to love me back! :P<strong>


	4. I Will Love You

**This is the last chapter guys. I hope you enjoy it. :D**

**Disclaimer: Not my characters.**

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><p>Blaine swallowed past the lump in his throat as he stared at the worn intercom box drilled to the wall before him. Looking over his shoulder he nodded at the chief of police who nodded back in acknowledgement. The Chief was an old friend of his dad's and, though they hadn't been on the best of terms since Blaine had come out, he was dedicated to his job. There was a small squad of about five men gathered behind the Chief, two of whom where in riot gear. None of them really knew what to expect.<p>

Taking a deep breath Blaine faced the intercom machine again and pressed the buzzer for apartment 4 with shaking fingers. There was a beat of silence as they waited for a response in which Blaine was sure his heart was somehow both stock still and racing at the same time.

"Who's there?" Blaine's breath huffed out in a rush at the sound of that voice, a sickly cocktail of anger, relief and fear flooding his body. "Hello? What do you want?" The voice continued in a growl.

"I want you to let Kurt go." Blaine tried for calm but it wasn't easy. His stomach was twisting and adrenaline was making his limbs feel cold and heavy.

A barked laugh crackled from the intercom before Dave spoke again. "Blaine is it? Oh Kurt mentioned you. But don't worry, I shut him up before he could spill all your secrets. Now I suggest you run along if you know what's good for you."

Blaine felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see the Chief standing next to him. Letting his finger slip from the intercom button he turned to fully face him.

"I know, I know. It's not enough." Blaine ran a hand through his hair, wracking his brain for any way to get Dave to admit to something incriminating. But he was struggling to get past the pictures of Kurt lying lifeless on the floor of some cold lonely room. What had Dave meant by _shut him up_?

"Blaine, I believe you when you say he assaulted you, heck I've seen the bruises, but we need some kind of evidence before we can take him in. I can't legally go on your word alone."

"I know!" Blaine wanted to hit something. Kurt was so close but he just couldn't reach him. "What if I go up there? I can get him to talk, I know I can, I just need to make sure Kurt's okay. It'll clear my head and I'll be able to think straight."

"Blaine you can't-"

"Yes, I can. It's the only way we're going to get the evidence we need." He looked the Chief right in the eye, trying to convey how desperately he needed to fix this. "I'm a good lawyer, you know I am. I'll get him to talk."

"Let's say I did agree to this. How are you going to get up there? I'm pretty sure Karofsky won't just let you stroll in." The Chief raised one eyebrow, cocking his head in question.

Blaine thought hard. Holding up his finger to the Chief in the universal signal of 'give me a minute' he moved back to the intercom and pressed the button down.

"You want to know something Dave?" There was no response but Blaine was sure he was listening. "I think you're a coward. You'd rather talk to me through this crappy piece of machinery than see me face to face because you can't handle the fact that I'm a better man than you'll ever be."

"Watch yourself Blaine." David muttered into the intercom, confirming Blaine's suspicion that he would be listening. "You're playing with fire here."

"Really? Seems like a pretty weak flame." Blaine taunted, earning himself a low growl from David. "See? You're just a coward who hides behind his little intercom machine so he doesn't have to face reality."

"Say that to my face." David spat down the line.

"Let me." Blaine growled back.

The line was silent for a moment before a loud nasal buzz sounded and the front door to the block of apartments popped open.

Blaine turned to the Chief with a grim smile.

"Fine." The Chief conceded. "We'll give you five minutes to get something out of him and then we're coming up. You understand me?"

"Yes Chief." Blaine yanked open the door as the Chief reminded him 'Five minutes!', heading straight for the stairwell and taking the steps two at a time.

It seemed to take forever to reach the second floor but eventually Blaine burst out into the corridor. Glancing left and right he noticed that the door to number four was propped open, inviting him in like a lamb for slaughter.

When he reached the doorway he had to pause for a moment to get his bearings . It was pretty dark in the room on the other side, the curtains drawn across the few windows, but as his eyes adjusted, Blaine realised he was in what could almost be considered a living room. There was a tatty sofa pushed against the far wall, facing what Blaine thought was an old TV. Between the two pieces of furniture was a large cardboard box, turned on its side and topped with a few beer cans and an ash tray. The stale air made him feel a little claustrophobic but he ignored it. Sliding along the wall to his left as quietly as possible he knocked into the phone to the intercom. It slipped from its cradle but Blaine caught it before it hit the wall, letting it hang from its wire as he continued forward into the room.

He only got a couple of steps forward when he saw Kurt. Bound and gagged, he was huddled in a darkened corner of the room. His eyes were wide with fear and Blaine's stomach dropped when he saw the dark trail of blood running from somewhere near Kurt's temple down the side of his head.

Forgetting about the fact that he was trying to be quiet and not quite registering the way Kurt was shaking his head, Blaine pushed out of the shadows, letting Kurt's name slip from his lips in a strangled plea.

He realised his mistake a moment too late. The hairs on his neck stood to attention and he turned to see the shadowy figure looming out of the darkness. He tired to dodge but wasn't fast enough. Two large hands collided with his chest and he fell to the floor.

David stood over him, cracking his knuckles and grinning maliciously.

"So I'm a coward am I? We'll see just how much of a coward you think I am when I'm through with you. Not so tough now are you Blaine?" David sneered, moving slowly closer to Blaine with a hunter's tread.

Blaine knew he had no chance against this guy, that had already been established, and he wasn't after a fight any way. He needed proof. Hard evidence that would put David away for a very long time.

"I know about the bribe David." He tried to keep his voice strong. For his conviction. For his safety. For Kurt.

"What bribe?" Dave asked, impatience in his voice.

"The bribe you made with Judge Harris. No one put away for manslaughter gets probation after five weeks. You really think nobody suspected foul play?"

It may have just been a trick of the light but Blaine thought David's face got a little paler.

"I don't know what you're talking about. " He snarled, but he had stopped moving towards Blaine.

"Harris said new evidence had come to light that proved your innocence. But you know what I think?" Blaine pushed up a little so he was leaning back on his hands instead of his elbows. "I think you were in a lot of debt, and somebody was breathing down your neck, and you snapped. They said he was beaten to death. Wouldn't be hard for you, would it David? So, what? Did you get carried away? Or did you want to kill him? The dead can't speak, after all."

"I didn't kill anyone." David's eyes darted to where Kurt was huddled and staring incredulously at the hulking man.

"Did you panic? I read that the body was discovered in a dumpster. Not a very good hiding place David." Blaine continued.

"Just shut up alright." Dave swallowed harshly and surreptitiously wiped his palms on his jeans.

"What kind of man can do that? Purposefully end the life of another human. And with his own bare hands. You've got to be seriously messed up for that to not eat you up every day."

"I didn't mean to kill him!" David suddenly shouted, slumping as though the secret was the only thing keeping him inflated. "He wouldn't leave me alone about the bloody money so I just wanted to rough him up a bit, get him off my back. Then he said he was gonna go to the police. I'd already been done for drugs twice, I couldn't get caught again. So I just kept punching him. And then he wasn't breathing anymore."

Blaine felt fear spike through his body at Dave's detached tone, the way his eyes were glazed over with recalled memories, and tried to slowly inch backwards.

"Don't even think about it." Dave was suddenly back in the present, fists clenching as he took another step towards Blaine. "That may have been an accident, but this won't be. If you think you're getting out of here alive, you've got another thing coming."

Blaine dropped back onto his elbows, too close to David for comfort. Adrenaline was pumping through him, making him feel a little weak as his body screamed for him to run. But he wouldn't leave Kurt, couldn't.

"I guess this is a bad time for me to mention that the Chief of Police has been listening to our whole conversation, then?" Blaine said breathlessly, jerking his chin in the direction of the door and the intercom machine next to it. Dave's eyes zeroed in on the phone hanging from its cradle by the taut wire, his face paling in trepidation. If anyone had happened to press the button on the machine downstairs they would have heard everything, and Blaine knew that's exactly what the Chief had been doing.

Blaine could barely believe the timing. There was a beat of silence, in which Dave stared at him in disbelief, before the door was flung open, hitting the wall with a loud bang. Dave didn't even have time to react before he was being pinned to the ground by two men in riot gear, the Chief standing over him with a smug expression as he read him his rights.

Blaine pushed up from the floor, rushing over to Kurt and dropping back to his knees. Cradling Kurt's face in his hands, he looked him in the eye, just wanting to know that he was okay. Kurt's blue eyes were red-rimmed and shining from tears, but clear with relief, and it allowed Blaine to relax a little.

"I'm so sorry Kurt." He murmured as he worked to loosen the gag in Kurt's mouth. "I should have been there when he came. I promised to protect you and I wasn't there."

At last the gag slipped free, allowing Kurt to cough weakly as Blaine moved to the knots binding his wrists.

"Blaine." Kurt's voice was constricted with tears. "You came for me!"

"Of course Kurt." Blaine tugged at the fabric around Kurt's wrists. "How could I not?"

The binds fell free and Kurt reached up, fisting his hands in Blaine's shirt and pulling him close so he could bury his face in Blaine's neck.

"I want to go home." Kurt's voice was tiny, muffled into Blaine's skin, but it resounded in Blaine's head. _Home_. He wasn't sure if Kurt meant his home, or somewhere Blaine didn't know that Kurt thought of as home, but he had to admit, it sounded good.

"We will Kurt. We will. But first I want to get you checked out. The Chief brought an ambulance. It's waiting outside, and then I promise, I'll take you home."

Kurt nodded slightly, tightening his hold on Blaine's shirt when he tried to pull away. Wrapping his arms around Kurt's shoulders, Blaine pulled them both to their feet and tucked Kurt into his side, before steering him out of the now empty apartment and down the stairs.

By the time they reached the parking lot, Dave and the marked police cruiser were gone, leaving the Chief and two other officers to gather evidence to bundle into their discreet BMW.

The Chief approached them as the front door of the apartment building clicked shut behind them.

"We're almost wrapped up here boys." Kurt's fingers were white where they were wrapped in Blaine's t-shirt, his face pressed hard into Blaine's shoulder. "Just want to ask the neighbours a few questions and then we'll clear off."

"Thanks Chief. Is that ambulance still here?"

Blaine gave Kurt a small squeeze as the Chief directed them round the corner where the car park continued for a short way. He waited patiently as a young EMT checked Kurt's vitals but couldn't stop his feet from pacing beside the vehicle. He could just barely make out their voices as the EMT asked Kurt 'does this hurt?' and 'do you feel nauseous?' and he held his breath before every answer, praying to god that that _bastard_ hadn't done Kurt any serious damage.

It wasn't long before Kurt appeared around the end of the ambulance, arms wrapped around himself and looking so vulnerable that Blaine took him in his arms, both of them holding the other tightly, needing the comfort of the warm body they thought they'd never see again.

The EMT followed after him, waiting for them to separate before stepping forward and holding out an ice-pack and a small box of pills.

"This is for your head Kurt." He passed Kurt the ice-pack. "And these are for any other aches and pains you both might have." He passed Blaine the pills. "A little birdie told me told me you had a run in with Karofsky yesterday, and by the looks of it, you might need those."

The EMT returned to the ambulance, packing supplies and slamming the doors shut. Kurt and Blaine watched the vehicle leave, followed shortly by the remaining officers, till it was just them and Blaine's Mercedes in the empty parking lot.

"Come here." Blaine murmured. Pulling Kurt round to face him, he took the ice-pack from his lax grip, using his free hand to cup Kurt's chin and tilt his face towards the fading light.

There was a clean white bandage on his temple and a pale bruise over his cheek bone. His black eye was still faintly yellow but it was the fresh bruises on Kurt's chin that sent spikes through Blaine's stomach.

The clear shape of Dave's fingers were pressed into Kurt's jaw, four fingers on one side, one thumb on the other, and it was clear to Blaine that Dave had forced Kurt to look at him, pressed too hard and left purple copies of his fingers on Kurt's face.

He raised his gaze to look into bright blue eyes, but at the eye contact Kurt scowled and pulled his chin from Blaine's hand, not quite quickly enough to hide the tears welling in his eyes.

"Kurt?"

"He tried to kiss me." Blaine stilled at Kurt's words. "In your bedroom. He tried to kiss me but I spat in his face so he threw me into the dresser."

Blaine didn't know what to say. How did one respond to news like this? Instead he tentatively slid his hand up to cup Kurt's cheek, gently turning his head back to face him when he didn't pull back.

"I tried to hide. But he was too fast. I was almost at the bathroom and he grabbed me and threw me on the floor. I was so scared Blaine. I thought he was going to kill me." Kurt dissolved into sobs, Blaine pressing their foreheads together and closing his eyes as he muttered soothing words.

"He's gone now Kurt. He can't hurt you anymore. I promise, he will never hurt you again." Blaine pulled back when Kurt had quieted, slipping the ice-pack between Kurt's face and his hand so the cold would soothe the worst of the bruises. He laid his other hand on the side of Kurt's neck, smiling slightly when Kurt shivered at his cold fingers on the sensitive skin.

"Come on, let's get you home." Blaine leaned in quickly to press a kiss to the thumb shaped bruise on Kurt's jaw, barely brushing the skin with his lips so it wouldn't hurt Kurt.

They were already pulling into the parking lot of Blaine's apartment building when he realised this may not have been the best idea. Kurt had just been, well, kidnapped from here. What if he found it traumatic to be back? Who was Blaine kidding? Of course it was going to be traumatic.

Blaine led them up to his apartment, keeping a tight hold on Kurt's hand and glancing at him every couple of seconds to check for signs of panic. But Kurt seemed okay, his grip on Blaine's hand constant, his breaths deep and relatively even, and Blaine marvelled at how well he coped with the stress.

However, when Blaine pushed open the door to his apartment Kurt gasped, hand clenching around Blaine's fingers as they faced the trashed room. There was still debris littering the floor, now mixed with papers and files from the cupboard Blaine had knocked open. The writing was still on the window, and it was that that Kurt headed for first.

Picking his way delicately through the clutter, Kurt moved to the window, looking to Blaine like a fawn in its first snow. Blaine followed tentatively after him, wandering where he was going with this. They stopped side by side at the window, not really seeing the street below, just those condemning red words.

"The dresser knocked me unconscious. I guess he did all this and then... took me away."

Again Blaine didn't know what to say, instead he watched in silence as Kurt reached out a hand and smeared his fingers through the words, smudging them, wiping again and again until they were unintelligible.

"Can we clean up the apartment?" Kurt asked, turning to face Blaine with hopeful eyes. Blaine thought it was an odd request but considering what Kurt had been through, he supposed something as normal as cleaning could in some way be a comfort.

Together they set to work in the fading light, sweeping the unsalvageable possessions into bin bags and setting the others aside for Blaine to repair. They reorganised all Blaine's files and tucked them back into the cabinet and Blaine taped over the TV screen while Kurt wiped the last vestiges of red pen from the window.

By the time it was properly dark, the apartment was back to something that resembled normality and Kurt seemed to be feeling a lot better. Together they fell into Blaine's bed and wrapped themselves around each other, tugging duvets and blankets and pillows around themselves to create their own little world.

In the safety of Blaine's bed and arms, Kurt was asleep within minutes, but Blaine couldn't seem to turn off his brain. He fell into a light fitful sleep, waking often. A few hours later found him lying on his back in the dark, his mind replaying all the worst parts of his day as if trying to remind him just how close he came to losing Kurt.

Blaine blinked at the ceiling to try and stop the tears from pooling in his eyes. His arms were held protectively around Kurt who was curled on his chest, still sleeping. No one would ever take him away again, Blaine wouldn't let them. But what if Kurt wanted to go? Blaine didn't know what to think of that possibility. There was no way he would ever try to hold on to Kurt. The man was like a bird, he looked so fragile but he was ready to deal with the world, he could fly. But how was Blaine supposed to go back to his old life knowing that Kurt was out there. He would never be the same again, of that he was sure, and being without Kurt seemed unfathomable to him.

Thinking back to the moment he had discovered Kurt wasn't here he couldn't stop the tears. They streaked silently down his cheeks and he buried his face into Kurt's soft hair needing the reminder that he was here, he was safe. It had been fear like nothing he had ever experienced, and he had some pretty awful memories. It had gripped his entire being and made him feel like a vice was slowly compressing his lungs and heart. Even just recalling it now, the ghost of that pressure surrounded him, causing him to take deep gasping breaths. He couldn't spend every day wandering where Kurt was, if he was safe and surviving, he had to know.

But it was more than just fear. It was a longing so deep it was in his bones. Even now with Kurt in his arms, Blaine wanted him closer. He could barely explain it to himself but he knew a mere day without Kurt would be... impossible.

Without intending to, or even realising it, he had fallen. And he wasn't sure if he ever wanted to get back up.

"I think I love you Kurt." Blaine murmured into the darkness, running a hand up Kurt's spine.

Kurt shifted slightly on his chest, sighing in satisfaction.

"Hmm, me too." Blaine stiffened at the soft exhale, not sure if he had imagined Kurt's voice or not.

"Kurt?" Kurt raised his head slightly to show Blaine half-lidded eyes.

"Yes?" His voice was barely a whisper, more a mere manipulation of his exhales.

"Did you mean that?" Blaine barely dared to hope.

"Oh yes." He breathed matter-of-factly. "Very much so."

Blaine couldn't stop his smile, grinning down at Kurt who had laid his head back on Blaine's chest.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I heard you crying." Kurt murmured, laying his hand over Blaine's heart but causing his smile to vanish. "You don't have to be sad Blaine. I'm here now. I'm safe and I'm happy so you can relax."

Blaine felt the tears return, trying his hardest to hold them in but his resistance crumbled at Kurt's gentle pressure on his chest.

"I was so scared Kurt. I thought you were dead. When I found your blood-" Blaine cut off as his throat closed. Kurt leaned up on one elbow, stroking a hand over Blaine's curls and murmuring soothing nothings. "God Kurt, you got kidnapped, you shouldn't have to comfort me. I'm sorry."

"Shh Blaine. It's okay that you were scared. It was scary. But everything is fine now, we're both healthy and unharmed." Kurt's voice was incredibly soothing and so Blaine focused on it, letting everything else fall away to leave just his voice and the pressure of his body on Blaine's chest. "I'm not going anywhere."

Those words resounded in Blaine's head. I'm not going anywhere. Kurt wasn't leaving. And if Kurt wasn't leaving then everything would be okay. More than okay.

Slowly coming back to himself Blaine dropped his gaze to Kurt. There was tears in his eyes and his hair was a little rumpled but Blaine couldn't have cared less. Slipping his hand up and behind Kurt's neck he pulled him forward, both of them keeping their eyes open as their lips brushed and pushed together.

Blaine had only intended for it to be a chaste kiss, but the noise Kurt made wiped his mind, leaving only an automatic instinct for him to pull Kurt closer, press their lips back together and deepen the kiss. Kurt whined lightly as Blaine wrapped his arms tightly around his waist, hands splayed on the warm skin of his lower back where his top had ridden up slightly.

Eventually they broke apart, gasping and out of breath but grinning like idiots, and settled back into the bed, curled together in contentment.

"Love you Blaine." Kurt whispered.

Blaine pulled Kurt tighter against his chest and put his lips by his ear.

"I love you too Kurt."

* * *

><p><strong>The End. :)<strong>

**Pretty pretty please will you review? I don't get emails anymore when people favourite my story or whatever because it's not working right so if you don't review then I have no idea if anyone is even reading my story so please review and let me know what you thought. :D Thanks for reading! **


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